Girt By Sea is an ongoing collection of map-logos of Australia. The collection is composed of objects and photographs, and is displayed as a digital archive and in other formats including collages or assemblages. The Girt by Sea collection was created out of a fascination with the shape of Australia, the ubiquity of this shape in Australian visual culture, and the frequent use of the shape in brand identities. Much of the collection is sourced from product packaging and signage. Unlike other ‘Australian’ iconography such as the southern cross or the national flag, the shape of our island(s)-nation has not been co-opted by any ideology, and its contours are readily and broadly deployed. Girt By Sea focused initially on our familiarity with the shape of Australia; our eyes’ consistent exposure to it through a variety of media was alluded to in the form of long-exposure solar photograms. More recent projects focus on the country’s shape as a reminder of our nation’s island-ness (reinforced as an idea in the Australian national anthem), and the border policies that have led us to engage with other island-nations in the Pacific and elsewhere.
Sean Rafferty, Nauru (2020),100 x 100 x 10cm, specimen pins, mixed media, cardboard, foamcore, plywood, timber and acrylic cover. Photo: Louis Lim
The image above (and below images) show the project as installed at Good Grief (Sydney, 2017), an installation that responded to the idiosyncrasies of the space to display both the physical and digital items of the collection. The map motif is repeated throughout the space through collages, paintings on glass, solar photograms on plywood, and in a slide projection. Photography: Docqment
Sean Rafferty Girt By Sea (2017) Mixed media on archival cardboard 69 x 89 cm (framed). Photo: Docqment
Sean Rafferty OP-OZ-IT (2017), Australian map-based logos on archival cardboard, 96 x 180 cm.
To see the growing collection visit Girt By Sea on Instagram @girt_by_sea
Sean Rafferty 2023